Craven through the years

From the archive, first published Friday 10th Feb 2006.

100 Years Ago

MOUNTED police were patrolling the streets of Earby after a mill strike turned nasty. Six strikers were fined the considerable sum of £5 for intimidation. The dispute had begun the previous November when the Weavers' Association had written to mill owners in the town seeking payment according to the "uniform list" of 24 shillings and eight pence a week and recognition of the union. While all mills had agreed to the payment, one, the Earby Manufacturing Company, had refused to recognise the union.

For several weeks the strikers limited themselves to booing those who did not join them but when the managing director, a Mr HC Smith, brought in other workers from Trawden, there was stone-throwing, windows broken and Mr Smith was followed through the streets being hissed. On one occasion he was besieged in his house. Then, when he had tried to address workers at the mill, stones had been thrown at both him and policemen.

Reports that pubs in Skipton were on a hitlist to be closed proved groundless as the annual brewster licensing sessions passed off without controversy and all pubs had their licence renewed. But alcohol drinking was a concern a century ago as the Herald noted that the 1902 Licensing Act, which provided for a blacklist to be drawn up for those who caused trouble in pubs - an Edwardian version of today's Stand scheme in Craven - had been a failure.

The Herald also pointed out that the Yorkshire Inebriates Reformatory at Cattal near York and opened just nine months previously at a cost of between £10,000 and £50,000 was to be abandoned. The experiment between the three Ridings of Yorkshire had hoped to reduce alcoholism but attendance was voluntary. The large building had only 15 persons there when the closure was announced.

50 Years Ago

THE Development Plan for Skipton produced by the county council was at least as controversial as its 2006 descendant. Back in 1956 the proposal was to fill in the Springs Canal and use it as a car park!

The town was seriously congested, said the plan, and to relieve it the council proposed driving a new road from Cavendish Street, through Union Square and across the canal to link up with Gargrave Road near St Stephen's. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the main Otley road would be continued along Princes Drive to emerge at the top of the High Street near the war memorial and then across to join Water Street. A slip road would lead down to the new car park on the old Springs Canal and on land between the canal and the High Street identified as slums and due to be demolished. Part of the scheme did come to fruition - Georgian cottages at the top of the High Street were knocked down to make way for the new road and houses on the west of High Street were cleared. Mercifully the Springs Canal was saved.

One other aspect of the plan was the construction of a helicopter landing strip in a field just off the Knaresborough Road.

Licensing laws were another story as current in 1956 as they are today. Pubs in the Skipton area were to be allowed to stay open an extra half hour - until 10.30pm - but only between April and September despite the opposition of various church groups and Skipton Temperance Society. Licensed victuallers successfully argued that farm workers had no opportunity to slake their thirst after a hard day's work in the fields during the long daylight hours.

25 Years Ago

SETTLE was up in arms about plans to charge for using the council-owned car parks. A delegation of 60 protestors organised by the town's traders attended the council meeting which decided to press ahead with the charges. The traders said it was the first battle in a long fight which aimed to delay car park charges in Settle "for ever".

Stanley Pilkington, from Accrington, won more than £100,000 on the pools and said he planned to spend the money on buying a house to move back to his home town of Barnoldswick.

Gargrave withdrew from the Best Kept Village competition. Instead the parish council was to draw up a "black list" of spots which needed attention with a view to re-entering the competition at a later date.

10 Years Ago

SETTLE residents were again mobilised - this time to battle against traffic calming measures in the town. The pedestrian refuges and narrowing of the road at Royal Oak corner were experimental but the county council was due to decide if they were to be permanent. A 2,000 signature petition organised by Settle resident Stewart Maunders opposing the measures had already been handed in but Settle Town Council gave its blessing to the measures.

Bell Busk post office was to close with the retirement of Doreen Gregory, who had been running it from her own home for the past 17 years.

Snow - do you remember snow? - fell causing transport difficulties across the region. A wedding had to be transferred from Settle's Zion Chapel to the Holy Ascension church because cars could not get up the hill to the chapel.

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